NHS v Private crownS

DocLem

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Toothsmith at least is more often on the health board: DocLem might like to ask the board guide to move this post over there where they'll see it.

How do I ask someone to move this thead?

P.S. The dentist has now confirmed that she can do the first two crowns as one n the NHS (i.e. onl one oayment of £200), but the third one would have to be separate - so it's £400 NHS, or £1200 private!

Savvy_Sue

Do you know, I don't know any more? Once upon a time there used to be a bit on the 'main' page of each board which told you who the board guides were for that board but I can't see it any more!

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there
Well done finding an NHS dentist :-)
when i moved here i couldnt find one for love nor money...so had to go private :-!!
But with hindsight im glad....my NHS butcher...sorry dentist fitted my 2 front teeth with veneers years ago that constantly came off...eventually taking part of my tooth with it... my new dentist explained that they use different materials (obviously cheaper) and that a lot of treatments arent available on the NHS-i was disgusted... i now have had a permenant bridge of 3 front teeth and i cant tell they arent my own...it cost £900 which was the only painfull bit of the whole process..but touch wood they have been no problem at all...baring in mind the amount of damage he had to put right..i had a front root canal where they had gone straight through the tooth so all the filler was in my gum...
So all in all as much as i object to £900 for 3 teeth it has been money well spent so far...and im told they should last better than my own teeth!!!

Nile

Hello DocLem

The board guides for this board are Glad and mini. Click on the name (eg Glad) and on the right hand side (under the heading Contact Info) click on 'send a private message to Glad'.

Your message could read something like:

Hello Glad. I'm a new member and would like my thread 'NHS v Private crownS' moved to the Health & Beauty board please.

Thanks

Nile

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Do you know, I don't know any more? Once upon a time there used to be a bit on the 'main' page of each board which told you who the board guides were for that board but I can't see it any more!

It's still there...............at the bottom of the page.;)

olive84

Hi, I'm not a dentist, but I do work for a dental organisation. You can get crowns done on the NHS. This will fall in the highest price bracket. However, despite what people think about dentists, your dentist will not recommend you to get private work done to make more money. It will be because the quality of the work will be much much better than NHS work. The materials used will be of a higher cost, the lab fees will be higher, and the product will be far more superior to an NHS crown. Your dentist is recommending this option to you because he feels that it is in your best interests, not his. It is your decision as to whether you want to take his advice or not, but if you do want the private work there are a couple of payment plans out there that are good at making the work affordable.

Toothsmith

olive84 wrote: »

Hi, I'm not a dentist, but I do work for a dental organisation. You can get crowns done on the NHS. This will fall in the highest price bracket. However, despite what people think about dentists, your dentist will not recommend you to get private work done to make more money. It will be because the quality of the work will be much much better than NHS work. The materials used will be of a higher cost, the lab fees will be higher, and the product will be far more superior to an NHS crown. Your dentist is recommending this option to you because he feels that it is in your best interests, not his. It is your decision as to whether you want to take his advice or not, but if you do want the private work there are a couple of payment plans out there that are good at making the work affordable.

That's a fair enough point - and true up to a point.

There are very strict rules surrounding the provision of NHS dental treatment though, and the OPs dentist is breaking the lot!

She is not allowed to say that an NHS crown will only last a year. How can she possibly know that? Is it programmed to distruct? I've seen some terrible crowns last for ages! If a crown is really that bad - she shouldn't be doing it under any circumstances. So she shouldn't have agreed to do any NHS work at all if she can't do it properly.

It is also blatently wrong to say 2 crowns can be done on one NHS treatment, but a third must be done as a seperate course costing another £194. If you needed 15 crowns and were an NHS patient - you would be entitled to them all for 1 Band three price of £194. That is one of the reasons the new NHS contract is completely unworkable.

It is my opinion that if more dentists had refused to have anything to do with this contract, then there would have had to be a rethink.

Many have signed it, get their monthly wad of NHS money, but pick and choose what they provide for it.

This is wrong - and should not be tolerated by anybody.

My advice to the OP would be to look around for a dentist who is prepared to do work based on her needs, and who can talk openly and honestly about the costs involved.

LondonDiva

Well said ~ toothsmith!

Also would strongly reccommend you contact the PALS (& by contacting them, filtering the info to the dental contract team) of your local PCT to let them know what is going on.

http://www.nhs.uk/England/AuthoritiesTrusts/Pct/postcodeSearch.aspx

Glad

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]!!!!!![/EMAIL].

peachespeaches

Ive had a NHS crown for about 20 years and its as good as the private one I had last year, and caused me less hassle settling down.